Elijah’s Journey to Horeb

19 Ahab told Jezebel(A) everything that Elijah had done(B) and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword.(C) So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “May the gods punish me and do so severely(D) if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow!”

Then Elijah became afraid[a](E) and immediately ran for his life.(F) When he came to Beer-sheba(G) that belonged to Judah, he left his servant there,(H) but he went on a day’s journey into the wilderness. He sat down under a broom tree(I) and prayed that he might die. He said, “I have had enough! Lord, take my life,(J) for I’m no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down and slept under the broom tree.

Suddenly, an angel touched him.(K) The angel told him, “Get up and eat.” Then he looked, and there at his head was a loaf of bread baked over hot stones, and a jug of water.(L) So he ate and drank and lay down again. Then the angel of the Lord(M) returned for a second time and touched him. He said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” So he got up, ate, and drank. Then on the strength from that food, he walked forty days and forty nights(N) to Horeb, the mountain of God.(O)

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Footnotes

  1. 19:3 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr, Vg; other Hb mss read He saw

Elijah runs to Mount Horeb

19 Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, how he had killed all Baal’s prophets with the sword. Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah with this message: “May the gods do whatever they want to me if by this time tomorrow I haven’t made your life like the life of one of them.”

Elijah was terrified. He got up and ran for his life. He arrived at Beer-sheba in Judah and left his assistant there. He himself went farther on into the desert a day’s journey. He finally sat down under a solitary broom bush. He longed for his own death: “It’s more than enough, Lord! Take my life because I’m no better than my ancestors.” He lay down and slept under the solitary broom bush.

Then suddenly a messenger tapped him and said to him, “Get up! Eat something!” Elijah opened his eyes and saw flatbread baked on glowing coals and a jar of water right by his head. He ate and drank, and then went back to sleep. The Lord’s messenger returned a second time and tapped him. “Get up!” the messenger said. “Eat something, because you have a difficult road ahead of you.” Elijah got up, ate and drank, and went refreshed by that food for forty days and nights until he arrived at Horeb, God’s mountain.

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